What They’re Saying About the Eagles

Here’s this week’s roundup of what the national media are saying about the Eagles.

Peter King of The MMQB released his mock today. He’s got the Eagles giving up their second-round pick to move up to No. 15 and take LSU WR Odell Beckham Jr.:

A bit of a risky move, because the Eagles probably could have stayed at 22 and gotten Marqise Lee, another object of their affections. But the versatility of Beckham—who can play outside and slot and on returns—makes him a good replacement for DeSean Jackson. And cheaper.

Greg A. Bedard of The MMQB projects what teams should do. He gives the Eagles USC WR Marqise Lee:

DeSean who? That will quickly be the sentiment of Eagles fans if they pick the more versatile Lee, who is also excellent with the ball in his hand.

Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com thinks Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix could fall to the Eagles:

The Eagles need more playmakers in their secondary and Clinton-Dix would be an ideal fit.

ESPN.com’s Todd McShay has the Birds taking Louisville safety Calvin Pryor at No. 22:

Wide receiver and cornerback are two other possibilities here, but Pryor also would fill a need at strong safety next to free-agent pickup Malcolm Jenkins, and he’s a good value at this point in the draft. Pryor is an intimidating presence in the middle of the field with his willingness to deliver the big hit, and he also is capable of holding up in deep-half zone and deep-third coverage. He’s a tone-setter.

Patrick Daugherty of Rotoworld ranks all 32 NFL owners. He has Jeffrey Lurie second, behind only New England’s Robert Kraft:

You know the Philly-fan stereotype. These are battery whippin’, Santa Claus booin’ hooligans. Win, or else. The truth is far less sinister, of course. Yes, Philly fans have had their share of regrettable incidents, but name a major American city without regrettable fan incidents, and you’re naming a major American city that doesn’t exist. Philly phanatics are not the boogeymen years of confirmation bias have made them out to be. All that being said, Philly is a tough place to play. One of America’s oldest and most populous cities, it has won just two world titles since Ronald Reagan was first elected president, neither of which came from the Eagles. These are proud people hungering for trophies. It is in this climate that Lurie has displayed remarkable patience, sticking with Andy Reid through thick and thin, and sticking with his most recent coaching search until he got the man he wanted. That man, Chip Kelly, could easily prove to be the league’s next Belichick. Lurie may not have a Super Bowl to show for his patience and home-run hires, but playing under the microscope of the fishbowl NFC East, he does have seven division titles in the past 13 seasons. Even in a knee-jerk environment like the NFL, good things come to those who wait. Sooner or later, Lurie will get his title, and it will be deserved.

Gayle Saunders of Rotoworld thinks the Eagles could go with Indiana WR Cody Latimer at No. 22:

Some may say this is too early for Latimer to come off the board, but Latimer gives the Eagles the big bodied target at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with speed (4.44 forty) to match. Latimer played in an up-tempo, no-huddle system at Indiana which is a huge plus. Hope he likes shakes.

Peter Schrager of FoxSports.com has the Eagles taking Virginia Tech CB Kyle Fuller:

Most mock drafts have the Eagles going with a receiver here, but with such a loaded class of wideouts, I think Chip Kelly can find a few gems in later rounds. Cornerback isn’t as easy a position to fill. Fuller’s rocketed up draft boards in recent weeks and could go as high as the top 15. A Virginia Tech standout, he’s got good NFL size and can make an impact right off the bat. Comes from an NFL family (brothers Vincent and Corey) and can contribute on special teams.

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com re-grades the 2011 draft and gives the Eagles a D:

The Eagles blew their first three picks on guard Danny Watkins, safety Jaiquawn Jarrett and corner Curtis Marsh. Ouch. The Eagles had nine other picks in that draft, and the only real hits were fourth-round kicker Alex Henery and sixth-round center Jason Kelce, who is one of the better centers in the league.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com thinks Georgia Tech OLB Jeremiah Attaochu could be available for the Eagles in the second round:

Chip Kelly wants to upgrade the pass rush position and Attaochu is a very talented rush linebacker who would be a steal this late.

Charley Casserly of NFL.com has the Eagles going with Notre Dame defensive lineman Louis Nix:

CB and WR are needs, too, but I can’t get the Saints game from last season’s playoff out of my mind — New Orleans controlled the line of scrimmage running the ball.

Bill Barnwell of Grantland makes what he considers the top two perfect picks for each team. He goes with Pryor and Florida State WR Kevlvin Benjamin to the Eagles:

You would forgive the Eagles for just picking six safeties with their six picks and figuring everything else out later, given how they’ve struggled there since Brian Dawkins left for Denver. After adding Malcolm Jenkins from New Orleans, Pryor would slot in as the strong safety, likely from Week 1 on. Benjamin is hardly a DeSean Jackson replacement, but given Chip Kelly’s known fetish for enormous playmakers on offense, the 6-foot-5 receiver could be a downfield weapon more in the Alshon Jeffery vein. (They better take De’Anthony Thomas later, though.)